Hamilton scientist wins award at international conference

New Zealand scientist, Bruce Morris, from Hamilton, has won the inaugural “Excellence in Sample Prep” award at an international conference for analytical chemists held in North America.

The annual
conference, known as the North American Chemical Residue Workshop (NACRW), is
open to scientists from all over the world with attendees from North and South America, Asia, Europe,
Africa and Australasia.

Dr. Morris, a
Senior Technologist at New
Zealand's leading analytical testing
laboratory, Hill Laboratories, was judged against more than 35 international
scientists for the Excellence in Sample Prep award.

The award was
given for an oral presentation delivered to more than 300 conference delegates.
Dr. Morris, along with colleague Richard Schriner,
were the first New Zealanders to attend and present at NACRW, which this year
celebrated its 51st year.

According to Hill
Laboratories founder and managing director Dr. Roger Hill, Bruce’s presentation
demonstrated the benefits of a new type of sample preparation Hill Laboratories
has spent many years perfecting.

“Hill
Laboratory’s Food and Bioanalytical division has put in huge resources over
many years to develop test methods for detecting pesticide residues in foods,” Dr.
Hill said.

“About eight
years ago we became aware of a new residue testing method, called the QuEChERS
extraction, which was receiving great international acclaim as the most
effective way to analyse pesticide residues in foods.”

“Since then, Bruce
and the team, including Mr Schriner and Shaun Clay, have worked to improve the
‘clean-up’ process in residue testing. They developed a new 'clean-up'
cartridge in co-operation with our US
suppliers. Now, after five years of hard work, we have the method reliably
running at Hill Laboratories,” he said.

According Dr
Hill, Dr. Morris’ presentation of Hill Laboratories’ pesticide residue journey
at the NACRW has a chance to put New Zealand
on the international residue testing map.

“People have
said to us that Hill Laboratories is 'world leading' in the area of residues
testing, and this award confirms that.

“Essentially
the improved residue testing method means that clients end up with more
accurate testing results, and thus people buying fruit and vegetables receive
better protection against buying produce with unwanted pesticides.
We are
extremely proud of Bruce for presenting and receiving this award and hope it
will spark improved pesticide residue methods carried out internationally,” he
said.

Dr. Morris,
who had only once before presented at an international level, said the process
was both exciting and daunting.

“The NACRW is
regarded as the best pesticide residue conference in the world. The people you
are presenting to are experts in this field, so if you’ve got anything wrong,
they’ll know about it, and they’ll tell you!” he said.

“Having never
presented to that many people before, it was a bit unnerving. But also exciting
to have had the opportunity to put Hill Laboratories, and New Zealand, on the
international residue testing map,” he said.

Hill
Laboratories celebrated its 30th anniversary in July this year. The company
is a 100 per cent privately owned New Zealand
analytical testing laboratory and has three major testing areas: Agriculture,
Environmental and Food.

With its main
site in Hamilton, the
company currently has four sites in the North
Island, two in the South
Island, and an office in Japan.
The
conference was held last month in Tampa, Florida.